Forgotten
by Seguchi Touma
Summary: Schuldich wakes up to discover that he has been left behind by his own teammates.
1. Chapter One I woke up alone

Title: Forgotten?  
Warnings: Erm... spoilers eventually. Yaoi is a good possibility, although there is none in this chapter.  
Pairings: Dunno yet. Let me see how it works out.  
  
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Schuldich rolled out of bed irritably, not a rare occurance for the telepath of Schwarz. Few days passed where he didn't wake up in a bad mood. Yawning and stretching, he rose, sliding into a set of clothes that were laying about and ran a hand through his wild locks of crimson. Gah... his stuff had been taken again. Where his television had sat was an empt space, the desk looking oddly bare without it and his stereo. Even the books he had laying about, ranging from straight out porno to philosophy were gone. Brad must really be pissed to have taken all of his things.  
  
Taking a deep breath, he stalked out into the hallway, glancing towards the closed door of Nagi's room. Unsure fingers rested on the doorknob as he considered. Was it worth it to try to talk to the telekinetic? Schuldich was more than aware that he had serious screwed up on the mission a few nights ago, a mistake that had ended with him taking a bullet for his own stupidity. No, best to let it alone. Naggles would probably side with Brad anyways.  
  
With a scowl painting his lips, Schuldich stalked towards the kitchen, already smelling the strong enough to be paint thinner coffee that the American had brewing. Leaning against the doorjam, he watched Brad Crawford for a few moments as he stared into nothingness. A cup of cooling liquid caffiene sat before Brad, he hands folded under his chin. Those dark brown eyes stared ahead of him at the wall, seeming to be seeing nothing. Tiredness had brought shadows out under those eyes that Schuldich loved to gaze into late at night, weariness had caused a redness there that looked as if Brad had been crying.  
  
"Brad..." Schuldich began softly.  
  
Brad Crawford rose, tossing his coffee cup into the sink violently where it shattered into shards. Without looking at him, Brad strode past him, moving towards the door. The American's voice nearly broke as he murmured softly, more to himself than anyone, "I can't take it anymore."  
  
The door closed behind him with a crash that nearly broke the door and frame, driving them together harshly. Schuldich jumped at the violence of it. Crawford wasn't a man to break easily or prone to anger. Glancing about the silent apartment, he flopped down on the couch, turning on the telly for entertainment. If he was in the doghouse for screwing up the mission, he wasn't going to make it worse by chasing after the other man and nagging at him.  
  
Nagi walked out an hour or so later, heading for the kitchen. Schuldich's eyes followed the silent youth as he moved about, cleaning up the mess of broken glass that Crawford had left in the sink. Farfarello emerged from his basement lair a few minutes later, the two other Schwarz assassins ignoring Schuldich as well. Grumbling to himself, the German stalked back to his own room. Fine. If Brad was going to have everyone mad at him, he wasn't going to put up with it. He had better things to do than sit around here. Bastards. Yawning, he laid down on his bed, ready for a nap.   
  
*  
When he awoke later, it was dark outside, a pale sliver of moonlight giving his room an eerie lumiscence as it slid through his bedroom window. Padding out of his room, he rubbed his eyes sleepily, considering whether or not Brad might have forgiven him enough to let him climb into bed with him. That thought alone brought a hentai tainted grin to the German's lips. Some Brad snuggle time was more than deservd for putting up with the silent treatment all day.   
  
Surprise crashed that thought down as Schuldich stopped dead centre of the living room, standing in the place where his favourite flopping couch should have been. Dents were in the carpet where the furniture had been, but the couch itself was gone. So was the telly. The walls where shelves of books had been earlier were empty as well. Heading for the kitchen at a near run, he began jerking open drawers, throwing them across the room. Cupboards were thrown open, revealing more and more of the emptiness that seemed to be cursing the Schwarz apartment. Flicking the lights on, Schuldich ran from room to room, searching for any sign of his former companions. There was nothing. It was as if they had never existed.  
  
The scratch of a key in the lock brought him back to himself as the front door opened, the sound of their landlady's voice reaching him as he stopped his mad rampage through the room that had been Brad's. "They moved out today, Officer, so I know the place is empty. Look at this mess! And the lights! They were off an hour ago."  
  
Using his telepathy, Schuldich hid himself from their view, watching with wide eyes as the woman and policeman walked through the rooms that had once housed the collective of Schwarz. Their minds had no knowledge of where the others had gone. Brad had left him, taking Nagi and Farfarello with him. Just... gone. Nothing. They had tossed him away like an old piece of garbage. As the front door closed behind the others, Schuldich began crying to himself, the hurt sounds of a lost child.  
  
*  
Time passed, months or more by Schuldich's estimation. He had no desire to leave, no reason to go anywhere but here. Brad would return for him. He always did. Most of his time was spent in his old room, sometimes in tears. At other times, he would stalk about the apartment, throwing things in his fury. It didn't matter, at least to him. It passed the time until he knew Brad would be coming back to him. Anything was better than the roaring silence he now heard on all sides of him. It was as if his telepath had simply stopped working. There was no more chatter, weeping, screaming, sobbing, or whispering in his head anymore. The only times it did work was when someone came into the flat to check on the noises or to look the place over for letting it. It cloaked him well from their eyes then. Sometimes was better than nothing, he supposed.  
  
Fall had just passed into winter, the snow laying a dusty cover of white across the world outside the windows as Schuldich stood staring out into the slowly approaching twilight. The first stars had just broken the purple blue skies of the evening. Their gemlike glitter passed over the Mercedes below as it pulled up out front. Four people got out, the tallest one's head turning upwards to the window where Schu stood watching. A flash of light raced across the dark haired man's glasses, a thrill leaping through Schuldich's heart. Brad! It was Brad back finally. The American hadn't left him. Punishment was over.  
  
Their time apart had not been kind to Brad. Lines were cut within the American's formerly smooth face, leaving him looking older than he should have. Nagi followed behind him, grown at least a half a foot taller. Only Farfarello had remained unaged, perhaps a few more scars, but Schuldich didn't care. It was Schwarz! They were all together again. Everything would be better. The landlady's birdlike voice drilled into his skull as she wandered in behind the other three, a slender young woman at the other's side. "Crawford-sama, this place has simply been chaos since you left! Are you considering moving back to Toyko? I can't let this flat to anyone. The lights keep coming on at all hours, the cupboards and drawers fly open and sometimes end up smashed, and I swear I can hear someone walking around up here at all hours of the night. I've even had a few people say that they saw someone up here from the outside..."  
  
Brad Crawford appeared to be ignoring them all as he walked down the hall, leaning against the open door of Schuldich's room and gazing in. A single tear slid down his cheek as he gripped the doorframe in one hand. "I don't think we are, Anyo-san. We've... found interests elsewhere. You think this place is haunted?"  
  
"Hai!" she agreed too quickly, nodding and once more listing the occurances to the leader of Schwarz as she followed him.  
  
Schuldich's hands pressed to his cheeks, trying to not hear what was being said... that he was being ignored all over again. A soft touch on the backs of his hands brought his attentions back as he glanced upwards. The other female that had been with them was crouched before him, her large dark eyes centred on his own. A soft smile, one of comfort crossed her lips as she slid her fingertips down his skin. Turning her head away, her voice reflected that serenity, a soft note of pleading in it. "Anyo-san, could we... have a few moments alone? To discuss whether or not we would like to relet this place? Think it over?"  
  
A look passed between Nagi, Farfarello, and Crawford as they ushered the elderly woman to the door and out, being kind but firm. Schuldich barely noticed them, a hand of his own reaching up to touch against the girl before him. Those depthless eyes were once more on his, an almost pitying expression within those too dark pools. Crawford knelt at her side, an anxious and worried expression on his face. "He's here? Are you sure?"  
  
"I know my business, Oracle, and I have found your Mastermind."  
  
In Schuldich's mind's eye, he was replaying the night he had been shot. He had been too busy listening in on Kudou Youji's thoughts to notice the bodyguard until he was right on top of him. He had felt the circle of cold steel press against his backside and the muffled report of the gun as the trigger was pulled. Flashing images of Brad cradling him and getting them all back here ran together, the American's voice calling down the corridors of his memory, telling him not to die... to do anything but just not die on him.  
  
"And I did, didn't I?" Schuldich whispered to her.  
  
"Hai... you died roughly ten minutes after they laid you in your own bed," she replied quietly. Turning to Brad, she sighed softly, "He's been here all this time. He's confused, disoriented. There was no understanding of why you and the rest of Schwarz left him. Mastermind is still half convinced that you did it as a... means of hurting him for causing the mission to be a failure."  
  
The strong features of Brad Crawford broke at that, the man's hands pressing to his face. "Tell him that we never would have left him... never hurt him like that. We didn't know! If we had known he was still here sooner, we would have come back. Fuck, we never would have left!"  
  
Schuldich's hands tried to curl about the woman's once more, tring to stroke them even as they passed through them. Funny how he had never noticed before that nothing really stayed in his grasp for long. "I can hear them, but they can't hear me?" he asked, directing his question more to her than anyone.  
  
A soft chuckle came from the woman as she nodded to Schuldich. "Hai. He can hear you, Oracle. He hears and sees everything. Now... where is this Fujimiya Aya that the Elders tried to use in the ceremony. If there's a way to bring your Mastermind back, she may be the key."  
  
((To be cont...)) 


	2. Chapter Two Do the Dead Cry?

Title: Forgotten?  
Chapter: 2/?  
Author: Zoisite NightDragon  
Warnings: Erm... spoilers eventually. Yaoi is a good possibility, although there is none in this chapter.  
Pairings: Dunno yet. Let me see how it works out.  
  
  
The next few days passed with the same dreamlike quickness that those before had. Instead of the few months that Schuldich had thought passed, it had been years since Schwarz had been there. Five years to be exact. Aura, the woman who had come back with Schwarz, explained to him that she was able to see and communicate with ones like him, those that were dead but lingered on as ghosts. Crawford, Nagi, and Farfarello had begun sleeping in shifts, the rest of their time spent questioning Aura on what Schuldich was doing or saying. When sleep forced her to stop responding to their questions, whichever of the three was present merely sat and talked to him, holding an endless monologue whether or not they thought he was listening.   
  
He did try to touch them occasionally, ending up with him passing right through them. Nagi's reaction to it had been less than pleasant. In all his time, Schuldich had never seen the youth afraid of anything, but he'd damned near gone into a seizure borne of fear when the German had passed through him. Farfarello, on the other hand, had enjoyed it in his own manner, stating quite firmly that God was weeping at Schuldich still being with them, that even his Pale Horseman of Death hadn't been able to break them apart. The attempt with Brad had been different, the American jumping as Schuldich's fingers passed through his arm. As the two of them had literally passed through each other on a second try, the stoic American had nearly fainted. Regaining some of his sense, Brad had kept repeating over and over to both Schu and an amused Aura that had actually felt Schuldich, sensed his thoughts. The man had stripped off his suit jacket, pressing it to his nose then. A soft sheen had moved over the American's eyes, a tainting of tears before they were forced back. "I can smell him on it," was all that he would say. Even now, Brad lay in his bedroom sleeping with his head pillowed on that jacket.  
  
Luck had been with him when Nagi had finally dropped off to sleep despite the numerous cups of coffee that the kid kept slamming back. Perhaps 'kid' wasn't the right word anymore, Schu pondered as he glanced in at the moonlight washed telekinetic. Nagi was twenty now. It was so hard for his mind to accept that. The last time he'd seen Nagi, he had been half a foot shorter and much thinner. The youth was still slender, something that he would be cursed with for all his life perhaps, but he was nearly only a few inches shy of Brad's height now. If Schu had possessed substance, he and Nagi would have stood at nearly the same level. Five years... gone by in mere months to him.  
  
Sliding open the glass door to the balcony, he stepped out onto it, gazing up at the stars. It was little wonder that people had been convinced that the place was haunted. Without thinking, he could manifest himself enough to open doors, turn on lights, or close things. Aura had told him time and again to stop it, that doing so led to periods where he went to what he had thought was sleep. In reality, he more or less became free floating energy with no consciousness. It was how time had slipped away from him so much without him carrying some memory of it passing. Eyeing the door he had just opened, the telepath sighed to himself. "At least no one saw it..."  
  
"I did," spoke a voice from the balcony railing.  
  
Turning about, Schulich's mind went into habit before intelligence. He tried his telepathy to search the darkness before remembering that it was gone. Only after a second did he recall that he was a ghost and that hurting him was impossible. Resisting the urge to slap himself on the forehead, the German folded his arms and merely glared.   
  
A low chuckle of laughter came from the shadows as Kudou Youji stepped out. Emerald eyes snapped with amusement as they raked up and down the telepath's ghostly form, the grin on his lips that of a man who has just received a most unexpected but welcome gift. Another laugh escaped the Weiß assassin as he slid up onto the railing itself, lighting a cigarette. "You know, when I heard this place had spooks, it never occurred to me that it might be one of you. I thought it was just some nonsense that Omi picked up at school, but when Schwarz came rolling back into town last night I couldn't resist following their trail and finding out why."  
  
Schuldich arched a brow as he glanced behind him, completely taken off guard by the wire wielding assassin's manner. "You can... see me?"  
  
Youji nodded, ribbons of grey smoke curling up from his mouth and nose. "Hai, I can see you, Schuldich. Hear you too, incase that was your next question. How's being dead treating you? Not as much fun on that side of the fence, is it?"  
  
The telepath scowled as he stalked towards the rail, leaning against it and pointedly ignoring that part of his arm had gone right through the metal Youji perched on. "Very fucking funny, Balinese. So how can you see and hear me? Where are the rest of the kittens?"  
  
The blonde grinned at his former... well, dead enemy, shaking his head ruefully. "The rest of Weiß are doing what they do on their nights off. As for how, let's just say that I've seen ghosts my entire life. Asuka and others... It doesn't matter right now. You're looking pretty good for someone who died. You know, the neighborhood kids claim that the ghost here is of a desolate lover that killed -herself- when her boyfriend left her. Please don't tell me you croaked because of something that petty."  
  
Schuldich pulled a clove out of his own pack, lighting it and staring out at the city while he tried not to rise to the insult from Youji. The cloves were another quirk Aura couldn't really explain. They weren't real in the sense that Youji's cigarettes were, but Schu smoked a never-ending supply of them. While no one could see the smoke or even the German burning them, all of Schwarz claimed they could smell the special blend of cinnamon and vanilla that Schuldich had used. "Bite me, Kudou. I died being shot on a mission, not of some silly affair or from an STD like you probably will."  
  
"How long?"  
  
"Five years. Doesn't seem that long, but it's been five years."  
  
Youji nodded slowly, following Schuldich's gaze out to the cityscape below them. Lights twinkled in shades of ruby, amber, and sapphire, resting on a sea of blackness around them. Five years was about right in his memory as well. It had been five years ago that Schwarz had essential ground to a halt here in Tokyo, picking up and leaving one night without a trace. They'd surfaced briefly in England according to Yuushi, one of Ran's old friends from the Crashers, but not been any big threat. "And now?" he asked quietly.  
  
"And now what?"  
  
"And now what are you going to do? Schwarz is back, but you're dead, and none of them were paranormal researchers or able to see spirits according to the files we have on them with Kritiker."  
  
Schuldich blinked. That was a thought he hadn't had much beyond Aura mentioning that they needed to find Aya-chan, Fujimiya Ran's sister. Supposedly, that's where Farfarello and Aura had gone this evening, following up some information on just where she might be. "And now..." he began, coming up short for an answer that would fit the situation.  
  
The blonde took his silence for being lost, perhaps some form of ghost nonsense about being miserable and unable to even contact his fellow companions. He had no idea about the woman with them or that they were aware of Schuldich's presence. To his eyes, Schuldich was the same as he always had been, bright orange hair and all, except for now he could see through him. There but not there. It was an odd paradox of the spirit world that it had taken Youji's mind awhile to accept long before he had begun seeing Asuka. His voice was gentler as he spoke, lifting a hand to rest just short of resting on the German's shoulder, not sure if he could stand people trying to touch him or not. "Gomen, Schuldich. I know it sucks, but… but… hey, I'm here! I can't just waltz in and say hello to Schwarz for you, but I can keep you company at least. It's not that bad being dead, or so I'm told. I bet you get to peek into a lot of showers now."  
  
Schuldich managed a smile as he glanced over at the other man. Who would have thought that he wouldn't be such a bastard outside of the bounds of their jobs? Then again, if Youji suspected that right now Schwarz was acquiring Aya-chan for their own purposes, he probably would have been back to the man he knew and hated. "Danke, Bali..."  
  
The sound of the apartment door being thrown open from within cut the conversation short. Eyes fleeing back to the rectangle of light cast from the hallway onto the two figures pulling a third one in, Schuldich turned and shoved Youji, that surprise coming back as he actually made contact instead of drifting through the blonde as he had done the others. "You have to get out of here. If they see you..."  
  
Youji grinned as he slid his feet over the rail, preparing to jump most likely. "SchuSchu! Concerned about my health? I'm flattered. Hai, I'll be going, but I'll be back. I promise. Just hang in there, ne?"  
  
Schuldich rolled his eyes as the man finally leaped, using his wire to descend the floors down to the alleyway. One of these days, Balinese was going to get himself killed that way. At least he was gone now, and not where the others could see him.   
  
Yes, that was it. Had he been seen, there would have been questions. Right. Nodding to himself to confirm that idea, Schuldich merely walked through the glass door this time instead of opening it, peering interestedly at who was coming in with Farfarello.  
  
What greeted him was not a pretty or welcome sight.  
  
Farfarello had Aya-chan's hair wound in one fist, dragging the whimpering girl along with him each step. Carried in his arms was a blood soaked Aura, her slight hands pressed to her side with tracks of crimson winding over them. Those serene brown eyes were wide with pain and the dawning of fear. Nagi snapped awake with the banging of the door, rushing to help Farfarello carry Aura in. "What happened?"  
  
The Irishman's single ruby eyes glared up at the telekinetic as he laid the Schwarz woman on the couch. "This bitch's brother was there, the redhead. Stupid bastard got her with his bloody katana when we were takin' away his sister. The little blonde was helpin' him, and I nearly killed the one with those claws, Siberian, meself. Had to leave one of my best daggers in him when it got caught on his ribcage."  
  
Schuldich was hard put to decide which Farfarello was more upset over: Aura being near death or losing his dagger. Watching Aura in her pain, even he could tell she wasn't for this world long. If she died, then no one would ever be able to see him… Schwarz would leave him again. Shaking his head, he tried to pluck at the woman's clothing or skin, get her attention on him.   
  
"Tell them that Balinese can see and hear me."  
  
Tear filled eyes focused on the ghost only she could hear and see. Instead of the nearly pitiful looking wraith she had found, the German was angry and demonic looking, jade eyes nearly spilling with poisonous light. "What?"  
  
"Tell them!"  
  
Struggling for breath against the blood trying to rise from her throat in bubbles, Aura's clouding eyes tried to fix on   
  
Farfarello and Nagi. "He says that... Balinese can see him, hear him."  
  
Aura watched as both Farfarello and Nagi glanced at each other, seeming to understand some secret with those words that she was on the outside of. Nagi murmured something low to the Irishman, the psychopath's ruby eye burning in its socket as he did. The cold and blood slimed blade of Farfarello's knife caressed her cheek as he leaned forward, speaking patiently as if to a small child. "Now lass, where is the work on this ritual to bring Schuldich back to us? Is it written down somewhere? On your computer? A book?"  
  
Aura nearly whimpered, fear filling her usual calm mind, transfixed on the quicksilver flashes of light running down the blade touching her skin. A nearly congealed droplet of some Weiß member's blood dripped from it onto her, leaving a revolting trail like that of a slug. "It's on my laptop."  
  
"Can anyone do it?" he asked next, the point sliding up to leave her skin and dance perilously close along her eyelashes.  
  
Breath hurt to draw it in, her exhalation having a pronounced gurgling sound to it as if she were trying to breath through a mass of bubbles. "Hai, I suppose so. What?"  
  
Farfarello's scarred face broke into a smile as he drew the dagger back from her eye, centering it for a sharp thrust.  
  
"Why?" she whispered in pleading. "I helped you!"  
  
"Because you're not Schwarz, merely a tool for us to use who's use has come to an end," Nagi answered, his tranquil midnight shaded eyes the last thing she saw before the knife descended.  
  
Looking away from the now cooling corpse, Nagi rose from the floor and walked back to Crawford's room to knock softly on the door and inform him of what they had learned. Farfarello wiped his blade clean on her clothing and stashed it away once more, glancing to Aya-chan still held by her hair in his fist as if remembering her for the first time. Dragging the nearly fear fainting girl across the room, he continued in his path for his own padded cell, one long gone unused and still stale with the smells of madness. With a quick thrust, he threw her in and locked it tightly on her sounds of weeping and pleas for help. There were no real innocents.  
  
Walking back up the stairs, he began bundling Aura's body for dumping into the incinerator downstairs. True, he couldn't see the telepath, but he could feel him about. "Don't fret, Schuldich. We'll be getting' Balinese, and he can be your lips."  
  
Leaning against a wall tiredly, Schuldich nodded in reply. Things had just gotten a lot more complicated. 


End file.
